Sudan Elections - April 2015
From 23 September through 04 October 2013, security forces arrested and detained a number of activists and political party members during several days of unrest in reaction to the lifting of fuel subsidies. While the government stated 84 protesters died, Amnesty International (AI) reported more than 200 protesters were killed by gunshot wounds. Reportedly authorities arrested nearly 2,000 persons during the protests. Protesters were held without charge for periods of a few days to several weeks.
Police transferred many demonstrators to NISS authorities, who then moved them among different detention facilities and denied them access to family visits or legal counsel. NISS officials frequently denied holding individuals in their custody or refused to confirm where they were detained. Detainees described being held in unsanitary conditions without access to adequate medical care and claimed they were subjected to beatings and harsh interrogation tactics, such as being forced to endure extreme temperature variations.
In January 2014 the president announced a National Dialogue to discuss democratic reforms with opposition parties and members of civil society. Some key opposition parties refused to participate in the dialogue until the government demonstrated its good faith with reforms to improve the environment for civil liberties and a cessation of hostilities. Although the president announced in April 2014 the government would release political prisoners and protect press freedoms, the government arrested key political figures and restricted the operation of newspapers and journalists throughout the year.
Many who protested or publicly commented on the actions of national security forces were arrested or beaten, and many individuals who aligned themselves with opposition movements were also detained without charge. Some protesters arrested in September 2013 remained in prison without trial throughout the year. The government failed to issue to the public a full report regarding the 2013 clashes between security forces and protesters. Several dozen individuals commemorating the one-year anniversary of the protests were detained and held without charge.
With few voters turning out at polling stations in Sudan's capital April 13, 2015 and opposition parties boycotting the general elections, it was all but certain President Omar al-Bashir would win another term. Bashir, who was wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges, was running virtually uncontested, as the main opposition parties had boycotted the election, complaining about political oppression in the country.
In the Council of States 50 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 6-year terms. Two members are elected by the legislature of each of 25 states.
In the National Assembly 450 members are elected by popular vote to serve 6-year terms - 60 percent of seats are elected by plurality vote in single-member districts. 15 percent of seats are elected under closed-list proportional representation. Multi-member constituencies correspond to states, and the threshold is 4 percent in each. Finally, 25 percent of seats are elected under closed-list proportional representation from lists that may contain only women. Again, the constituencies correspond to states, and the threshold is 4 percent in each.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir won another term in office with 94 percent of the vote in an election boycotted by the opposition. Election officials announced the results April 27, 2015 from four days of voting earlier in the month that had been widely expected to extend the presidency of Bashir, who has been in power since 1989. The head of the country's electoral commission said turnout was 46 percent, and insisted that widespread reports of low participation were not accurate.
The National Electoral Commission reported that 46 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections and declared incumbent President Bashir as the winner of the elections, having won 94 percent of the votes. According to the chair of the National Election Commission, 5,584,863 votes were counted in the election. According to the AU and other observers, however, turnout was considerably lower than this. Following the elections the National Assembly consisted of 426 seats (Upper House). The NCP held 323 seats, Democratic Unionist Party 25, and independents 19 seats; the remaining seats were won by other minor political parties. The independents, many of whom were previously ejected from the ruling NCP, were prevented by the government from forming a parliamentary group. The States Council (Lower House) consisted of 54 members with each state represented by three members. The NCP had 36 members in the Lower House. Under a new amendment, the president appointed 18 state governors.
The national- and state-level executive and legislative elections, held 13-16 April 2015, did not meet international standards. The government failed to create a free, fair, and conducive elections environment. Restrictions on political rights and freedoms, lack of a credible national dialogue, and the continuation of armed conflict on the country’s peripheries contributed to a very low voter turnout. Observers noted numerous problems with the pre-election environment. The legal framework did not protect basic freedoms of assembly, speech, and press. Security forces restricted the actions of opposition parties and arrested opposition members and supporters. In addition there were reported acts of violence during the election period.
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